The Fire Within
by crestadeen
Summary: When Katniss gets taken by peacekeepers while out hunting in the woods, they give her a choice: She either serves the capitol as an Avox or everyone she loves dies. To protect her family she chooses an unknown future as one of the many slaves in the capitol. There her path crosses someone who might could help her get the revenge she seeks.
1. Chapter 1

_Thanks for checking out this story! I hope you like it. English isn't my native language so I apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes. :)_

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><p>Katniss loved this place. Everytime she entered the woods the silence of it wrapped itself around her like an comforting blanket. The only sound she would hear was the constant crunching of the leaves under her boots and the silent melodies sung by the mockingjays. Sunlight would kiss her face in the summer and snowflakes would make her shiver in the winter. She would come here whenever she was happy or sad, scream her voice raw into the silent void before her whenever she was angry or just put a smile on her face and have a successful hunt with Gale.<p>

The woods always were her biggest chance to escape. To just disappear from this cruel world for just a few hours and then come back with a much clearer mind. The woods always were her little promise for safety whenever she needed it. _Until now._

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><p>Summer has fully reached district 12. It was a beautiful day, a Sunday, when Katniss jumped out of bed, quickly dressed herself and gathered everything she needed for an entire day of hunting with Gale. Her mother and sister were still asleep when she quietly slipped out of the front door and breathed in the fresh morning air. The sun already started rising at the horizon and the clear sky above her promised a warm and sunny day.<p>

Katniss sighed deeply and sets off for the woods. She would meet Gale there and together they would track their way to the lake in which Katniss father taught her to swim. In the past she always avoided it since it always made her miss her father so much. But ever since she showed Gale this particular place and they started fishing in the lake regularly she found herself looking forward to every single trip there. The lake always used to be a place which brought up all this terrible sorrow inside of her but now it was a place which made her think of all the good memories of her father.

Like always she didn't stop when she reached the fence. She just ducked her way under it and continued straight for the woods which now lay right before her. They literally were calling and longing for her but the sudden buzz of electricity behind her made her stop dead in her tracks. Ever since she could remember the fence has never been electrified. It was the very first thing her father told her on her very first trip to the woods with him. The fence which captured district 12 in its fangs has never been electrified. Ever. Why would it be different now?

Katniss turned around slowly. The buzzing still continued. At first she thought she might have gone mad and imagined the sound, but when she reached for a small branch lying right before her feet and threw it right against the fence it started to scream and smoke. Yellow and blue sparks danced around the little branch before it fell to the ground. Katniss eyes widened with shock while she stared at it. How was she supposed to get back in? And who finally noticed that the fence hasn't been electrified _all these years_?

Before she could think any further she got her reply. Suddenly she heard an angry cry to her left. She turned around to see at least ten peacekeepers running right at her direction. Their guns were pointed directly at her. Katniss knew instantly that running would do her no good. They would shoot her right in the back if she would.

So instead of listening to her head screaming for her to run she raised her hands above her head and let them come for her.

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><p>She didn't know how much time has passed since they locked her up into that damned cell. They were quick of capturing and escorting her to the justice building. People had been staring at her while she passed them surrounded by peacekeeper but Katniss couldn't have cared less. By now probably everyone in twelve already knew about her arrest. Everyone including her mother, Prim and Gale.<p>

A shiver ran down her spine while thinking about what they might do to them if they accused Katniss of a crime. They could not just only punish her but her entire family and everyone she knows or cares for. She flinched while imagining little Prim getting whipped by a peacekeeper. If they were cruel enough they would even make her watch so that she would never dare to do something like this again.

But what _exactly_ had she done to make them arrest her? This question had been swirling around her head ever since they left her alone in this cold something of cell. Of course she knew that it wasn't exactly allowed to just sneak off into the woods like that but she had been doing that for years and nobody ever seemed to mind. The peacekeepers in twelve never really have been that strict about rules since they also made their own profit from all these illegal activities. They even would buy a deer or a wild dog Katniss shot in the woods. They could easily have her imprisoned or punished for that since they even had a proof that she broke the rules. But they never did such a thing, so why would they do it now?

She suddenly heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching her cell. A young peacekeeper appeared behind the bars. A helmet covered half of his face but Katniss would've recognized him anywhere. It was Darius, one of the youngest known peacekeepers in District 12. She often met him at her trips to the hob and had already sold several preys of hers to him. She liked him, even considered him her friend, but when he unlocked the door to her cell and met her staring with an trembling gaze she knew that this friendship wouldn't help her this time.

"Miss Everdeen...please follow me," he tried to say as calm as possible but the trembling of his hands also took over his voice. Katniss nodded slightly, rose to her feet and followed Darius lead. He didn't even bothered to put handcuffs on her which probably indicated that he saw her as no threat without her bow and arrow. Which was true. Without her bow and arrows she wasn't able to defend herself quiet as good as with them.

Darius led her to a long staircase. The way out of the underground prison of the justice building Katniss never knew about. Or anyone ever knew about. They climbed the stairs and got out into a narrow hallway. Darius continued without stopping for the big wooden door at the end of the corridor. Katniss followed him in a slightly slower pace. She searched for a way to escape. But when her eyes catched a glimpse of the gun in Darius hand she knew that he had straight orders. If she would run he would have to kill her.

When they reached the door Darius opened it without hesitation. They both entered a small room. A big wooden desk stood right in the middle of it. Seated behind it was no other than the mayor of District 12, Mister Undersee. Right next to him stood twelve's newest head peacekeeper. Romulus Thread.

"Miss Everdeen, please have a seat," said Undersee in a gentle voice and nodded at the chair positioned right before his desk. Katniss obeyed and sat. Goosebumps now covered every part of her body. But she wouldn't let them see how much she actually feared what was about to happen. She raised her chin and turned her face into an icy mask. Thread smiled amused at her.

"Miss Everdeen, why do you think did my peacekeeper arrest you?" The question Undersee asked was simple yet so hard to answer. She tried to read in his eyes what he wanted to hear but his face was as blank as white paper.

She decided that telling him the truth was the only way of maybe getting out of here with just a small punishment. "Because I was on the other side of the fence?"

He nodded. "Yes, that is part of the reason. Mister Thread, would you please explain to her why exactly she is sitting here right now?"

The cruel smile of the head peacekeeper widened. "Of course, Mister Undersee. Miss Everdeen, in the past month we have been watching you and your friend. What was his name again...?"

"Gale Hawthorne," responded the mayor even though Katniss could see in Thread's eyes that he knew Gale's name. Her traitors of hands started trembling when they mentioned him. It was worse enough that she got herself in this situation but if they also would drag Gale into this she would go mad.

"Ah yes, now I remember, thank you. We have been watching you and your friend Gale, Miss Everdeen. We have been keeping track of all your trips to the woods, of all the things you sold at the Hob and to the Mayor's daughter. Isn't it true that you always stopped by the house of the Mayor and sold strawberries to Miss Undersee?"

Katniss swallowed hard. "Yes."

"So you confess that you and your friend have broken the law which says that it is completely forbidden to ever cross over the fence or to sell things at the black market?" She could tell how much this cruel bastard was enjoying his task. She wanted to rip out his throat for this but knew that this would be a very unwise move. She would not only risk her life but also the ones of her family and Gale.

"Yes," she responded flatly and hoped for the best.

Thread directed a pointed look into the mayors direction. "Both things are crimes which only get punished with public whipping at the post. But since she has done both multiple times over and over again I suggest we kill her family and make an example out of her for everyone."

"_NO_!" Katniss jumped out of her chair and started forward Thread. Two peacekeepers were instantly at her sides, grabbed her and pushed her back into her seat. But this time she got tied to it. Her desperate gaze burns into the peacekeeper. "Please, kill me instead! I'm begging you! My family has done no wrong! I was the one who committed the crime not them. Please!"

Thread seemed pleased with the result of events. He met the eyes of the mayor. "What do you suggest we do with her, Undersee? The way I see it, it would hurt her a thousand times more when we kill her family. On the other side, she is right. Her family has done nothing wrong. She is the troublemaker. But how exactly do we accomplish to punish her in an _effective_ way?"

Undersee stared at her with his blue eyes. His daughter Madge had the exact same eyes. Katniss knew them because she and Madge were friends or something similar to it. At school they would team up for group assignments and eat together in the breaks. They never talked a lot while being together but it was the closest relationship Katniss had to another girl except for Prim.

His gaze was mixed with pity and understanding. He knew that for Katniss there was no other way to provide for her family if she didn't go hunting regularly. But he couldn't show sympathy to such obvious crimes. Snow would have his head for this if he ever found out. So of course Undersee said: "I agree with you that her family indeed should not be included into her punishment. Killing her would be too easy and to ineffective. But I have an idea which might be the resolution."

Threads eyes flashed with interest. "Tell me your idea then."

Undersee took a deep breath. What he was about to say didn't seem to be pleasant for Katniss. "I suggest we send her to the capitol and let her serve there as an Avox for the rest of her life. We will announce this punishment in public. We will make an example out of her and show the people of twelve that this is what happens when they break the rules."

Ice took hold of her heart. Even if this punishment wasn't as worse as the first one the thought of never seeing Prim and Gale ever again took her breath away. She gasped for air and stared horrified at the grinning Thread. They would send her into hell itself. The capitol.

But Thread seemed not exactly satisfied. "This is a very good idea, Mister Undersee…but what about Hawthorne?"

"I think he will learn his lesson when he hears what will happen to Miss Everdeen. I'm positive he won't cause us any trouble after that," answered Undersee far too convinced.

Katniss body was tense. She stared at Thread and begged him with her eyes for mercy. He seemed to notice her pleading gaze and grinned triumphantly. "Alright then, Undersee. I think we can agree on that. But if the boy dares to make another misstep he won't get the mercy we gave Miss Everdeen today. He'll be hanged in public, understood?"

Undersee nodded tightly and turns to Katniss. "Then it's decided. You, Miss Everdeen, will be send immediately to the capitol. You will serve there as an Avox until the day you die. Take this punishment as granted since under other circumstances it could have ended far worse for you."

He probably even expected Katniss to thank him but she wouldn't give him such a pleasure. She wouldn't thank him for destroying the future of both Prim and her mother. She wouldn't thank him for endangering Gale's life. She wouldn't thank him for sending her to the place she hated so much she'd rather die than go there.


	2. Chapter 2

When Katniss saw Prim it didn't surprise her that tears were streaming down her cheeks. Her little sister clung to Gales hand while she tried not to lose her footing. Her mother was nowhere to be seen which also didn't surprise Katniss. She hardly ever left her room so why should it be different now? Actually Katniss is glad that she didn't come. It probably would only cause her another breakdown.

Katniss stood right in front of the justice building for everyone to see. Two peacekeepers flanked her sides and her hands were tied together at her back. Undersee and Thread stood only a few steps away from her. They were engaged into a deep conversation. Katniss couldn't hear what exactly they were talking about but it didn't seem like a normal conversation between two colleagues. You could tell from the way Thread towered over Undersee that he was the one in charge and not the slightly smaller Mayor. Undersee was afraid of him. He should be. Katniss didn't need to know much about Thread to see what a cruel monster was laying behind his calm mask.

She turned away from both of them and met Gales gaze. He tried to hide his emotions from her but she knew him too well for not being able to see the horror and distress in his eyes. It probably was the very first time she saw him being actually scared. When they were hunting in the woods Gale was fearless. Not even the biggest wild dog would frighten him. He never saw it as a real threat. He knew that he was able to kill it if he wanted to. But he seemed to realize that he could not do anything to spare Katniss from her faith. He could only watch her getting taken to the capitol. And that was probably a bigger punishment for him than getting hanged in public.

She fought back the tears. She wouldn't start to cry. She wouldn't let her fear show. She wouldn't break for them. She couldn't. She had to be strong for Prim.

Katniss looked directly at her younger sister. Her eyes were pinned to the ground and tears were still streaming down her face. Katniss wished she would look at her but understood why she didn't. She couldn't bear to watch her sister getting taken away from her. She couldn't bear to lose another member of her family. Prim had always been strong after their fathers death but Katniss could already see that what she was about to learn would destroy her just like their mother.

Her eyes found Gale again but this time she had a message for him. She formed it silently on her lips. _Please keep them safe_. He understood and nodded slightly. Katniss was relieved. Her family would live. With Gales help they would survive. _Hopefully_.

The huge square right before the justice building was already filled with the amount of people that were able to fit there. Undersee and Thread seemed to also notice that and took action. They walked to the microphone which stood in the centre of the little stage together. Silence fell over the square as Undersee started speaking.

"Good morning, citizens of District 12. Thank you all for coming here. I am sorry for interrupting your hard work but I have an announcement to make which is very important for all of us. Today Katniss Everdeen got arrested for illegally crossing over the fence and selling certain goods at the black market multiple times in a row. You may ask yourselves how exactly that influences you. Well…for the things Miss Everdeen did she normally would've gotten whipped in public by the post. But since she committed these crimes several times we found ourselves being forced to take strict measures. For the things she did Miss Everdeen gets send to the capitol where she will serve as an Avox for the rest of her life."

The people on the square stared at their mayor in disbelief. They didn't understand why he would tell them things like that, why he would make this a public announcement, why he suddenly decided to be stricter with the law. Thread chuckled darkly next to the mayor. He seemed to be amused by the reaction of the people before him.

"I am telling you this because I finally realized how soft I am when it comes to rules. For the past few years the last head peacekeeper had closed his eyes and ignored any kind of crime. But this time is over now. Now that we finally have a competent head peacekeeper the rules will be stricter. Miss Everdeen is an example for anyone in the future who dares to break the law. The punishment we gave her is not as worse as the one we first thought about. We can't tolerate troublemakers in our ranks anymore. What we need is a strong community of workers. And we only grow into one if we all follow the rules. I hope you understand that."

Katniss could tell from the monotone way he spoke his words that this speech was not written by him. It most likely was the work of some brainless capitol politician or Snow himself. Since the last Hunger Games the grip of the capitol onto District 12 got stronger. Since a tribute from District 12 finally won the games this year Snows eyes were fixed on twelve. He finally saw how many things weren't going his way. Now he took action through Thread and Undersee to show the people of twelve that he still owned them. That they still were prisoners of his wicked game.

Hushed voices started talking to each other in the crowd. People were confused, horrified and scared. They also seemed to understand what this meant for them. A life filled with fear of getting accused of a crime they committed in the past.

Katniss gaze slid to Gale who now wore an expression of pure rage. He always was against the ruthless regime of Panem. He always searched for a way to rebel against it. Now his chances got even more limited. If they didn't kill him for making another misstep they would kill him for fighting back against the force of the capitol. She knew he would do it. She knew that he would start a rebellion right here right now if he could. But he was smart enough to see that it would do him no good.

Suddenly the two peacekeepers next to her grabbed her by the arm and yanked her backwards. Prims head instantly shot up and her eyes found Katniss which got dragged back into the building. Panic flashed in them. "_Katniss_!"

She wanted to scream that she would be alright. That she didn't have to worry about her. That she should just stick to Gale and she would be fine. But her lips weren't able to tell her such lies. She just shook her head to tell Prim that she should be quiet. If she now started screaming for her she wouldn't be able to hold back her tears any longer.

Just before the wooden doors of the justice building slammed shut behind her she could see how Gale took the wailing Prim into his arms and left the square.

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><p>Darkness surrounded her. Only the faint movements of the train under her and the silent breathing of the other girls around her were able to tell her she was still alive. After Undersee's announcement they took her to the train station right away. A train was already waiting for her. She got thrown into one wagon which was only occupied by girls. Girls who broke the law. Girls just like her.<p>

They didn't talk. Some of them were silently crying to themselves, some were sleeping, some were trying to hold up their emotionless masks. Katniss could barely make out their faces. Most of them were her age but she was surprised to also see some who were very young. Barely Prim's age. What had they done to end up here? How were you even able to break the law at such an innocent age? Katniss started to shiver and looked away. She probably would never see any of them ever again. So why bother remembering their faces when they would only haunt her in her sleep?

Her gaze met the one of the girl who was sitting directly across from her. She was smiling at her. Katniss frowned. "What's so funny?"

The girl shrugged. "I don't know. Your face probably. How much you're trying _not_ to cry."

Katniss rolled her eyes and chose to ignore the girl. She's probably only bored and searching for trouble. Too bad for her that Katniss wouldn't give into it.

But the girl wasn't finished yet. "Hey, I'm only kidding, alright? When I'm bored as hell I tend to annoy people or make weird expressions at them hoping they might start a conversation with me. I just can't stand the silence in here you know?"

"Neither can I, but that still isn't a reason for me to smile at this situation," said Katniss in a sharp tone.

"Well, I believe that you should at least try to make such a sucky situation a bit bearable. I mean if I would only focus on the fact that we all soon get our tongues cut out and will forever be servants in the capitol I would also get pretty depressed. But since we soon all won't ever be able to speak again I think we should be talking a lot right now. But if you want to continue to cry and regret all the things you've done then go ahead. I won't stop you."

Her words managed to actually make Katniss smile. She was the only one of them who got the guts to say what was really going on. Katniss admired her for that but wasn't really sure yet what the girl was expecting from her. Not really knowing what to say she just blurted out the first thing which came to mind. "How did you even end up here? No offence but for me you don't really look like someone who might break the law."

It was true. The girl had long black hair which fell down her shoulders in soft curls. On her nose sat a pair of small glasses which made her look ridiculous but also very smart. She was small and had a thin frame. Overall she looked like someone who would have good grades in school and never makes one misstep. But the fact that she is on this train indicated that she isn't as innocent as she appears.

"None taken. I agree that I totally don't look like someone who might cause trouble. But I am just a very noisy girl and also a very talented hacker. In my district I had a reputation for my skills and people would often come to me with contracts for which they would pay me a good sum of money. At first I was only asked to hack simple things like laptops of someone's opponent or something. But one day someone asked me to hack into the security system of the capitol-"

Katniss gasped. "The capitol? I heard their systems are nearly impossible to crack."

"And yet here I am," the girl laughed.

"You mean you did it? You hacked into their system of the capitol and they catched you?"

"You could say that, yeah. It took them a while to locate me but in the end they caught and brought me here. Shit happens." She shrugged again and still smiled.

"Wow," Katniss said deeply impressed. "So you're from District 3 then?"

"How can you tell?"

"Well, it deals with electronics, doesn't it?"

"Yes, I just didn't expect you to know…I'm Lumen by the way," she said and held her hand forward.

"Katniss," the other girl replied and shook Lumens outstretched hand.

Lumens grin brightened. "Like the plant?"

"Yeah, my father named me after it," Katniss answered weakly smiling.

"Why?"

"He sort of meant it like a metaphor…I'm named after it because it represents who I am. Responsible, nourishing and strong. That's what my father said at least. He always used to tell me that as long as I can find myself I'll never starve."

"Your father sounds like a really smart man. Where is he now?"

Katniss swallowed hard. "Dead."

Lumen was quiet for a few moments. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," is all Katniss said before the train comes to a swaying halt. She suddenly could hear voices outside. The door of the wagon got yanked open and a peacekeeper peeked into it. All the girls were staring at him not daring to say anything.

He smiled at them. "Welcome to the capitol, ladies!"


	3. Chapter 3

He had enjoyed sixteen years of being totally invisible but since he won the Hunger Games this year all eyes were on Peeta Mellark. The shy boy from District 12 had to learn how to deal with constantly being watched and getting recognized everywhere he went. After seeing so much blood and death in the arena his mental condition still was unstable. He would wake up every night screaming. The children he killed still haunted him in his dreams. The only thing that helped him to withstand the pain was painting the games. To visualize them on hundreds of canvas. Everytime he finished one of his paintings he felt this huge relief. This huge burden of a memory leaving him and making him a little bit lighter. He got better every day but he still wasn't free. He won't ever be free again. He was a victor now and belonged to the capitol.

"Wakey wakey, Peeta! Today is going to be a big big day!" Effie Trinkets annoying voice instantly woke him up. Like most of the nights after the games he also spent this one lying wide awake in bed not daring to fall asleep. Bad dreams were always haunting his sleep wherever he wanted it or not. So he'd rather stayed awake all night than fighting his way out of a nightmare.

"Just five minutes, Effie...," he begged and buried his head in his soft pillow.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I need you to get out of bed in the next five minutes. Portia and Cinna will be here any second! Up up!" He heard her walking away from his door. Her footsteps grew quieter every step she took until there was nothing left but silence. Peeta exhaled relieved and rolled onto his back. He stared at the ceiling and ordered himself to rise. But his body somehow refused to. The thought that he soon would be sitting in a huge auditorium with thousands of capitol citizens watching him made him roll his eyes. Oh, how much he despised these idiots. But he had no choice.

So he rose and got out of bed. He swayed on his feet for a few seconds before he entered the little bathroom next to his bed and splashed some water on his face. His blonde hair was messy and there were dark shadows under his eyes. But he knew that as soon as Portia was done with him that these flaws would be gone so that he looked as perfect as possible for his admirers in the capitol.

He took off his pyjamas and put on a green sweater and black pants. After he brushed his teeth and washed his hands and face he left his room to join the others for breakfast. Effie, Haymitch, Portia and Cinna were already gathered around the table and chatted excitedly with each other. But as soon as Peeta entered the room silence fell over the group.

"Good morning," Peeta said ignoring the obvious glances of distress everyone was giving him. He didn't need their pity. He could cope with his demons on his own.

"Morning, kid. All ready for a big big day?" Haymitch said while shooting a mocking glance Effie's way.

"Sure, always," Peeta sighed while he seated himself next to Cinna who gave him a small smile. He was the former stylist of the female tribute from his district. Her name was Brooke. She already got killed in the battle at the cornucopia. Peeta didn't got to know her all too well but her dead and broken body is something he would never be able to forget.

"As always we're on a very tight schedule. As soon as you're finished here, Peeta, Portia and Cinna will get you ready for your interview with Caesar. After that you're invited to a private party of some rich capitol celebrity. You don't have to stay that long there. You just have to thank the host for the invitation and talk to some of the guests and you're done. Then you've got some free time which you can spend however you'd like and then you have to get ready for the celebration at the president mansion."

A shiver ran down Peetas spine. He didn't look forward to the meeting with the president. He didn't look forward to all these stupid conversations with silly capitol citizens. He didn't look forward to any part of this day. He just wanted to go back to his apartment and be done with this dumb victory tour.

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><p>They brought Katniss and the other girls into a sterile room. Benches were positioned at each side of it. They were instructed to sit and wait until their name got called out. Each minute the room grew emptier. The ones who left never returned.<p>

"Looks like this is the part where they're either cut our tongues out or make an inquiry," whispered Lumen who was seated right next to Katniss without humour in her voice.

Katniss shrugged. "We'll find out soon enough."

"Do you think it's going to hurt?" Lumens voice grew quieter with each word she spoke. She started trembling and for the very first time since Katniss got to know her she looked actually terrified. Trying to calm Lumen Katniss took her hand and patted it protectively.

"I don't know. Never got my tongue ripped out of my mouth before," she joked trying to make Lumen laugh. But her attempt seemed to fail. The girl next to her still looked afraid.

"I hope they do it quick. I can't stand the sight of blood or even the taste of it," Lumen said in a trembling voice.

Katniss squeezed her hand. "Lumen, don't worry. You'll be fine."

Before Lumen could reply her name got called out by the monotone voice of the speakers above them. Katniss gave Lumens hand a last tight squeeze before she let got and watched the other girl leave the room. She let her gaze wander. There weren't many girls left with her. She tried to figure out the pattern in which they called out the names but she couldn't find one.

"Katniss Everdeen." She nearly jumped out of her skin by the sound of her name. She swallowed hard and got up. The peacekeeper at the entrance nodded to the door across from her. She stared at him for a few seconds before she followed his direction. Her hand shook violently as she reached for the doorknob. She didn't know what to expect. She didn't know what horror may be waiting behind this door.

She slowly opened the door and peeked inside. A young woman dressed in white scrubs awaited her inside. She gave Katniss a wide smile and gestured to the examination table next to her.

"Please have a seat, Miss Everdeen. I just need to run a few tests on you to make sure you're all healthy," she said in a gentle voice.

Katniss only nodded and sat on the table. While the nurse checked her pulse and blood pressure Katniss mind raced. What were they going to do with her after this. What would happen to her?

When the nurse was finished with her tests she scanned Katniss body. She grew uncomfortable under her gaze which the nurse seemed to notice. Again she smiled at Katniss. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Your results are quiet good. You're a very strong girl judging your heritage. Normally girls from twelve tend to be very thin but you've got a very good body structure. May I ask you how you managed to get it?"

At first Katniss thought she was kidding. But the very interested gaze of the nurse proved otherwise. She just shrugged. "I guess I'm just lucky."

"Oh, really? Or does it maybe have something to do with your illegal hunting activities you got arrested for?"

"Why are you asking me when you know the answer anyway?" Katniss snapped.

The nurse shrugged. "Don't know. Probably because it's always interesting to see which lies the person tells you."

"I wasn't lying," Katniss growled.

"I know." The nurse turned away from her and looked at her notepad. "Looks like you got lucky again. They won't cut your tongue out."

Katniss was silent for a few seconds. "What?"

"I am surprised myself to be completely honest. But it looks like they don't want someone as competent and strong as you harmed or silenced. They don't tell me exactly what they have in mind for you here but where I am supposed to take you. Follow me." The nurse led her out of the other door of the room. They got into an empty hall way with blank metal walls which were dotted with doors. No sound was to be heard except for the soft footsteps of Katniss and the nurse. They passed several doors before the nurse stopped before one with gold lettering on it. It said _Office of Egeria Lascius (Minister of affairs)_.

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><p><em>Thank you all for the follows and favs! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)<em>


	4. Chapter 4

The bright lights of the president mansion dazzled Peeta while he walked towards it with Effie at his side. She was surprisngly quiet at the moment and seemed to be completley captured by the view right before her. Unlike him Effie adored everything in the capitol which shouldn't surprise him since she was born and raised here but still. She would praise every pebble to her feet here if she would have the time for it.

"It looks wonderful, don't you think?" she marveled and let out dreamy sigh.

"Magnificent," Peeta mumbled and stared at the pavement under his feet. It glittered in the eerie moonlight.

Effie shot him a dark look. "Mister Mellark, please brighten up your mood a little bit! This is a very important event. You should show the president a bit gratitude for organizing such a huge party just for _you_."

Peeta chuckled dryly. "It's not like this party gets thrown every year for every victor."

Effie stopped dead in her tracks and stared shocked at him. "Peeta, get yourself together and smile or I swear to god that-"

"That what?" Peeta and Effie didn't see Haymitch coming. He now stood before the both of them and grinned.

"Haymitch! Thank god you're finally here! Would you please tell our dear Peeta here that he must be on his best behaviour today or he'll regret it?"

Haymitch only shook his head amused. "Effie, you can't blame the kid for not wanting to go to this party. You capitol people might know how to throw a good party but you tend to be really annoying on a longer amount of time."

Effie ignored the obvious insult and turned to Peeta again. Her expression softened. "Peeta, sweetie, I know it's not easy being a victor but I promise you that this is the last thing they ask from you, alright? Only this one evening and then you're free."

_Free_. Peeta couldn't blame Effie for being so blind to the obvious truth. Now that he is a victor he would never be free again.

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><p>The woman who sat across from Katniss at a dark wooden desk watched her with a burning intensity. Since she entered her office and the nurse had left her alone with this woman they had been staring at eachother. Katniss waited for her to say something but the lips of the female politician before here remained closed. Her gaze wandered over Katniss body. Katniss felt like a deer which is being watched by a wolf.<p>

"They were right. You are indeed in a very good condition," the woman finally broke the silence and nodded approvingly. It rather sounded like she talked about an object than a human being. But to her Katniss probably was nothing more than a tool.

"Please sit," the woman said in a commanding tone and pointed at the chair right before her desk. Katniss obeyed.

"My name is Egeria. I am Panems minister of affairs as you probably already could tell from my door," she introduced herself.

"My name is Katniss-"

"I know what your name is. I know where you come from, what you are, where you've been. We know everything about you, Miss Everdeen. Including your impressive archery and survival skills."

Katniss flinched in her seat. How could she know about such things? The only time she ever had used her bow was while being out in the woods. No one except for Gale had ever seen her shoot one single arrow. Not even Prim. Of course her customers at the hob always marvelled that she managed to shoot her prey exactly through the eye but there were no other indications that she is an experienced archer. She never told anyone random about her talent. It always remained her secret. So how could this woman know about it?

Egeria smiled at her. "Do you really think we don't know that some of our citizens cross the fence? It's not only possible in twelve. We also had cases like this in many other districts. You were all really that foolish to believe that our eyes aren't able to watch over the boundaries of the districts? The capitol is in the possession of technology you could never even imagine. Our systems don't miss anything. Not even your little secret trips to the woods with your friend."

"What do you want from me?" Katniss snapped annoyed. She tried to hide the fact how much it scared her that the capitol even had power in the woods. Her little wonderland now looked like a big ugly lie.

"Well, I don't _want_ anything from you. But President Snow _does_."

A shiver shook her body when Egeria mentioned the name of the man Katniss hated most in the world. This snake of a man who was the leader of Panem. The monster that oppressed thousands of people. The devil himself wanted something from her. "Oh and what does he exactly want from me? What could _**I**_ possibly give him?"

"_You_ can't _give_ him anything. But you can _do_ something for him," Egeria replied with a nasty grin on her face.

Katniss raised her brows. "And what does he want me to do for him?"

"Are you familiar with Peeta Mellark?"

Katniss swallowed hard. So this is why they haven't cut out her tongue already. They needed someone from the district of the victor to manipulate him or whatever they had in mind for her to do with him. "Yes…we went to the same school." _And he once saved my life_. But of course she didn't mention that.

"Good. Very good. What we want you to do is keep an eye on him. You will be placed in his household here in the capitol as his personal Avox. Of course you must then also act like one since we won't cut your tongue out. We want you to report everything he does and says to us. We already placed several cameras in his apartment but as soon as he leaves it we don't have that power anymore. That is where you'll be useful for us. You will follow him everywhere he goes, you will record everything he says and give us all the information about him you can gather. Understood?"

Katniss nodded hesitantly. This is not what she had expected. After all her punishment was to be an Avox but now it had turned into something so much more. They made her their personal spy. Their ears and eyes. They forced her to work for Snow which she so deeply hated. There was no punishment crueler than that.

"But...why do you want _me_ to watch him? What has he done?" she asked confused.

"That is nothing of your concern. Do your job well and we might let you return to your family," Egeria said and pressed a red button on the notepad before her.

Katniss bit her lip. As much as she hated what they made her do if it meant that she could maybe someday see Prim and Gale again she would do everything they asked.

* * *

><p>Peeta watched the colourful crowd before him. Music swirled through the room and many of the guests already started dancing. Peeta already had been asked many times if he would like to dance but he always used his prosthetic leg as an excuse. It still hurt walking with it but he already got used to the constant pain sparking up his leg. The doctor said it would take time for him to fully adjust to the new leg but after weeks he still felt no improvement.<p>

He sighed deeply and took a sip from the weird green liquor a waiter had given him a few minutes ago. It didn't taste that bad but was too sweet for Peetas liking. He left the glass on one of the many tables in the room and saw Effie coming towards him followed by a familiar looking man.

"Peeta, may I introduce you to Plutarch Heavensbee. He's the new head gamemaker and will organize the 75th Hunger Games!"

Peeta shook Plutarch's outstretched hand and gave the man a slight smile. "We already had the pleasure, Effie. But thank you for bringing him to me. I was already searching for you, Mister Heavensbee."

Plutarch frowned. "Is that so, Mister Mellark? Well then I am happy that I found you just in time."

"Effie, would you be so kind and give us some privacy?" Peeta asked her sweetly.

Effie nodded eagerly. "Of course, sweetie. If you need me I am right here!" She strode away and left them alone. Plutarch nodded towards a small dark hallway to their left. Peeta followed him in a safe distance.

When they finally disappeared for anyone curious to see, Peeta cleared his throat. "Mister Heavensbee-"

"There is no need to call me that, Peeta. Plutarch will do," Plutarch broke him off and smiled.

Peeta nodded. "Plutarch, I have thought about your offer for a very long time and…I still think this whole plan comes with a very high risk but I am now willing to take it."

"So…you're joining us? You will stand with the rebels when the time is right?" Plutarch stared at him in silent excitement.

Peeta swallowed. "Yes, I will."

Plutarch clapped his hands. "Wonderful! This such a good thing to hear, Peeta. If we continue to gather as many victors as possible for our cause we soon will be able to take action against Snow. It's now only a small matter of time."

"Which victors exactly are already in it?" Peeta asked curious.

"Oh, you're probably asking so that you know who you can trust, right," when Peeta nodded Plutarch continued, "Finnick Odair, Beetee Latier, Johanna Mason, Mags Cohen, Haymitch Abernathy-"

"Haymitch also joined you?" Peeta wasn't really surprised but still. Why hadn't his mentor told him anything?

"Yes, of course. Did you expect anything different from him? Snow killed his family. Took everything he loved away from him. He has every reason to join the rebellion."

"We all have our scars, but that doesn't mean we all are willing to risk our life just to _maybe_ get Snow from his throne," Peeta said in a sharp tone.

Plutarch raised his hands in defence. "I'm sorry, Peeta. I didn't mean it like that-"

Before he could continue they heard footsteps coming their way. They stepped apart and stared at the direction the sound came from. To their relief it was only Effie who crossed the corner. "There you are, Peeta! Come now quickly! The president has finally arrived!"

* * *

><p><em>Hope you liked this chapter! I had a really good time writing it. This story is now going into a completely different direction than I originally planed but I hope that doesn't bother you that much. :)<em>


	5. Chapter 5

Peeta stumbled completely exhausted into his apartment. He instantly got rid of his white jacket and dropped it to the floor. He had been sweating in it all evening and was relieved to finally feel the cold rush of air brush his skin. The white shirt he wore underneath was soaked with sweat as he had expected it to be. Peeta sighed deeply and decided that he first had to shower before he could fall into bed.

He hadn't even reached the bathroom yet when the shrill sound of the doorbell invaded his ears. He swore under his breath and turned to open the door for whoever it was that dared to bother him at that time of the night. He nearly crushed the delicate door handle under his strong grip when he ripped the door open. He was ready to snarl at the person who stood before his door but when he recognized her his words died on his lips.

Peetas eyes widened with shock as he stared at the girl right before him. Her face was as beautiful as the last time he saw it. Rosy cheeks, stormy eyes and a burning gaze. He had a crush on Katniss Everdeen ever since he first saw her. Ever since he heard her sing the _Valley Song_ in their music class. He could still remember that day vividly. How her hair had been in two braids instead of the one she now usually wore. How her eyes had flashed with excitement when their teacher had asked who knew the song. How her hand had instantly shot up. He still could remember how all the birds stopped singing outside once her voice had erupted from her lips. The sweet sound of it still haunted him in his dreams.

The Katniss that day had burned like a bright flame. So alive and so wild that his eyes still begged for more. But the Katniss who now stood before him was a stranger. Her dark hair had been pulled back into a tight bun. Her lips were painted red which looked strange since he had never seen her with make up on. Her soft curves were captured in a long red dress. She wore the signs of an Avox. _They have made her my Avox. They know what I've done and this is how they decided to punish me.._

He gasped for air and stumbled back. Pain shot through his leg. He leaned against the wall to his back so he wouldn't crumble to the ground. His whole body has started to tremble and he looked at her with an expression of pure horror. Meanwhile Katniss tried to keep her face blank of any emotions. She expected that sort of reaction from him. She would've been horrified if he would've just accepted this as it is.

"Katniss...," he tried to say more but he couldn't find the right words. He wanted to ask her so many questions but he finally realized that if she was indeed an Avox she wasn't able to speak anymore. She wasn't able to sing anymore. He would never hear her wonderful voice again.

To his surprise she entered his apartment without asking for his permission and walked towards him. She stoppedd a few steps away from him and extended her hand which held a little note with his name on it. He stared at it for a few seconds before he snatched it away from her, unfolded and read it. His stomach clenched with every word he read.

_My dear Mister Mellark, _

_Since you'll remain here with us in the Capitol I thought it'd be more than appropriate from me to send you a gift which will enrich your new home a little bit more. This Avox will take care of your household and do as you command. It may be a bit unusual for you at first but I'm sure you'll get used to her presence and start to appreciate her services soon enough. If she causes any trouble feel free send a message my way immediately and I'll make sure to find a replacement for her. _

_Sincerely, __**Coriolanus Snow**_

The second Peeta finished reading the note he crumpled it with his clenched fist and threw it to the marble floor. Tears were streaming down his face while he tried to calm his racing heart. Rage took hold of his body. He wanted to scream at someone. He wanted to destroy something. He wanted to _kill_ Snow for torturing him in such a cruel way. He wanted to _kill_ him for harming Katniss.

Suddenly a small hand brushed over his cheek and wiped the tears away. He raised his gaze and his blue eyes found her face. The little smile on it was sad but understanding. She understood why he felt that way. Why he was so angry. The wrath which had shaken his body just a few seconds ago was now gone and left him weak and unsteady on his feet. He was _tired_. So tired of the games Snow was playing with him.

"Katniss…how did you end up here?" he asked before he remembered that she couldn't speak.

Her response was a simple shrug. She always had to remind herself that she couldn't talk to him. She had been so close to reveal her secret to him. She had been so close to losing her cover. She needed to shield herself better from him. She needed to be more careful around him.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Katniss. Whatever reason they had to do this to you, I'm glad they brought you here. You'll be safe with me."

When she frowned confused he laughed. "You don't really expect that I let you work for me, do you? I don't need somebody to clean after me or do things for me. I'm quiet capable of doing that myself. But…I won't send you away. I rather let you stay here with me where it is safe than send you off to some evil capitol snob. I guess I owe you that much."

_You don't owe me anything._ She wanted to tell him so badly but she kept her mouth shut. She was the one who owed him something after he had saved the life of her family with his burned bread and gave her so much hope. But she couldn't tell him. At least not _yet_.

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><p><em>This chapter is much more shorter than the recent one's but I hope that doesn't bother you. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for all the positive feedback and new follows! You guys rock! :)<em>


	6. Chapter 6

When Egeria entered the office of President Snow he wasn't sitting behind his desk as he usually would while he had work to be done. He stood before the huge and only window this room possessed. It allowed him to nearly overlook the whole capitol. Egeria had always envied him for such a view but also knew that it wasn't in her place to want such a thing. He was the president. She merely was a minister and answered to every command he send her way.

"Is it done?" She nearly flinched when she heard the sudden sound of his hoarse voice. Snow didn't even turn to look at her. He continued to look outside.

She nodded even though Snow couldn't see it. "Yes, Mister President. Everything went like we planned it. The girl has been delivered to Mister Mellarks apartment and it looks like he accepted your generous gift."

Snow chuckled darkly at that. "Like he has a choice. He is smart enough to know that he shouldn't decline such an offer."

Egeria bowed her head. "Of course."

When he finally turned to look at Egeria his snake-like eyes trailed over the body of the minister. She was indeed a beautiful woman. A woman he might have desired in his younger years. But women were a matter he wasn't interested in anymore. A woman would only distract him from things which were more important. Like the matter of the small amount of victors who have started to show little sings of resistance towards him.

"Is there anything particular you came here to discuss with me, my dear Egeria?" He shot an expecting glare at her.

"Yes, Mister President. Plutarch Heavensbee asked me personally to deliver this note to you. He said it's of great importance," she said and extended her hand which held a envelope towards him. Snow took it from her and eyed it interested.

"Why does he give me a note when he could just come to my office in person?"

Egeria swallowed hard. "I assume he currently is a rather busy man since he has the huge weigh of organizing this year's games and Quater Quell upon him. He hasn't given me any reasons why exactly he can't attend you in person."

Snow nodded. "So be it then. Anything else you have to tell or give me?"

Egeria shook her head. "No, Mister President."

"Good. Then leave me," he commanded and turned to go to his desk. Egeria bowed and left the room quickly.

When the door slammed shut behind her Snow opened the envelope. It contained both the map of this years finished arena and the card which announced the twist of the third Quater Quell. A cruel smile spread over his face when he read it.

_**On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors.**_

* * *

><p>Prim stared at the back of her mother who was crouched on her bed. She already has opened her mouth several times attempting to tell the woman before her the horrible truth. That she had yet lost another member of her family. That she probably would never see her eldest daughter ever again. Prim knew that her mother deserved the truth but she just couldn't say it out loud since she still hasn't even accepted herself that Katniss is gone forever.<p>

A faint knock on the front door was a welcoming distraction for her. She swiftly ran through the small cottage which she called her home and ripped the door open. She was relieved to see Gale standing right before her. The best friend of her sister smiled weakly down at her. "Everything alright, Primrose?"

Normally Prim would've urged Gale to stop calling her by her full name but today she didn't have the energy for it. "What do you think?"

"Point taken," he said and peeked behind her into the house. Prim turned around to see her mother standing in the hallway watching them. It was an unusual sight since her mother rarely left her room since Prim's father had passed away.

"Mom? Are you alright?" she asked Miss Everdeen hesitant.

Her mother shook her head. "Prim, darling. I haven't been alright since your father died. And now that Katniss is also gone I'd be rather dead than alive but..."

Prim frowned. "But?"

Miss Everdeen smiled weakly. "There still is a reason for me to live. I once had three of them. Now two are gone but I still got one left. I can't lose that last one too. It probably would kill me once for all."

"Mom..." Tears filled Prim's eyes as her mother closed the distance between them with two big steps and took Prim in her arms. She quietly sobbed into her mothers blue blouse as she wrapped her arms around her tightly afraid of her letting go. But this time Miss Everdeen didn't. She would protect her youngest daughter – the only family she had left – with everything she got. She wouldn't lose her too.

* * *

><p><em>Happy New Year everyone! Sorry it took me so long but these last few days were rather busy for me. Hope you enjoy the new chapter! :)<em>


	7. Chapter 7

_The fire was getting closer. Katniss could feel the hot sensation of it on her back while she raced through the woods. The flames tried to get hold of her. Tried to take her in their burning embrace. Sweat ran down her forehead and the smoke coming from all directions took her breath away. She felt how her legs grew weaker each second she continued to run. But she had no choice. If she'd stop now the fire would devour her. _

_"Katniss!" Prim's voice pierced through her like a sharp knife. She raised her gaze and saw that she had nearly reached the fence. Her little sister stood behind it and watched her with terrified eyes. Katniss forced herself to run faster. She had nearly reached the fence when she heard it. A electrical hum. The fence was electrified. _

_"Katniss, don't!" Prim screamed but it was too late. Katniss fingers reached for the wire of the fence and touched it. Fire erupted from it and under Prim's shocked cries Katniss was set ablaze. _

Katniss gasped out loud when she finally woke from this terrible nightmare. Her chest heaved itself in an restless rhythm as she tried to calm herself. She knew it was just a dream but it felt so real. Like she was really there. Like she had really been set on fire. She could still feel the heat of the flames on her skin. But when she touched it, it was ice cold.

"It was just a dream, Katniss. It was just a dream...," she whispered to herself but her words felt hollow. Under normal circumstances Prims gentle voice would whisper these words reassuring into her ear and make her go back to sleep. But Prim wasn't here to comfort her. She was utterly alone in this strange room in Peetas apartment. In the capitol. _You fool. You should've been more careful. If you had been you maybe wouldn't be in this situation right now_.

She sighed exhausted and got up from the couch she had been sleeping on. At first Peeta had insisted that she'd sleep in his bed and he on the couch but when Katniss refused to he just had let her stay in the living room. She still didn't understand his strange need to make her comfortable or to protect her but right now she couldn't care less about his intentions. She had to focus on finding out his secrets and not on the fact that this boy had been nothing but kind to her since she had arrived.

"Stupid," she muttered and noticed that she was rather thirsty at the moment. She crept as silent as possible into the kitchen to get a glass of water. When she took one out of the cupboard a piercing scream took her by surprise. She dropped the glass which shattered into thousand pieces when it hit the floor. She swore under her breath and stared in the direction from which the scream had come from. _Peeta's bedroom. _

_Damn it_. She carefully stepped out of the mess. A few shards had hit her bare feet. Blood already ran out of the several tiny wounds. Katniss only glanced at them before she turned her attention to the closed door of his room. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't really in the mood to deal with him yet once again but at the same time she was a little bit worried about him. What damage would it do if she just quickly checked if he's alright anyway?

When Katniss slowly opened his door she heard the faint sound of someone sobbing. She stepped into the room as quietly as possible. Peeta was lying on his bed. His whole body shook violently under his heavy sobs. His back was turned to her so that Katniss couldn't see his face. But by the sounds he made she could tell that he was either in terrible pain or just utterly sad. She wanted to say his name but stopped herself just in time. She couldn't speak to him. She always had to remind herself of that fact.

She approached him with small steps. He still didn't notice her presence. He flinched when she touched his shoulder gently. He whirled around to see her standing right before his bed. His eyes were red from crying and tears still continued to roll down his cheeks. He looked _miserable_. So miserable Katniss actually pitied him.

"I'm sorry…," he whispered, "…did I wake you up?". She shook her head and gave him an attempt of a smile.

"It was just a nightmare. I…I started having them after the games. And it seems like I can only wake myself up if I scream my lungs out," he explained and smiled. But the warmth of it didn't reach his eyes which showed her how much pain these dreams caused him. She nodded to signal him that she understood. Communicating with someone without speaking is actually more frustrating than she had ever imagined.

He sat up and looked at her without saying anything for a long time. His gaze wasn't something which made her uncomfortable. In fact she actually enjoyed the small moment of silence between them. "So, why are you awake then? Couldn't sleep too?"

She nodded, pointed at her head and rolled her eyes. That actually managed to make him laugh. "I assume that means you couldn't sleep because you either had too much on your mind or also a nightmare."

She raised two fingers to tell him his second guess was the right one. He frowned at that slightly. "Well, looks like we have something in common."

Katniss smiled at him and seated herself on the edge of the bed. She carefully formed a question on her lips. _Tell me about it?_

He hesitated for a brief moment before he started to talk. "I…my nightmares mostly are about certain events during the games. Events which burned themselves into my brain because they were just that horrifying. This time I dreamed about the first tribute I killed. I still blame myself for just killing her like that but…I just wanted to survive you know? To go home. I don't even know what was going through my head in that moment but I knew that I needed to kill her. If I didn't I would die instead. It just…happened so fast. I can't really remember how exactly I killed her. She just suddenly was lying to my feet dead and bleeding. Her eyes will probably haunt me all my life."

A shiver ran down Katniss spine. She had watched his games like everyone else. She remembered the scene he was talking about. The raw and animal-like way he had fallen upon the girl from District 8 and impaled her with his knife. The girl never stood a chance against him but how could she blame him? How could she blame him for his will to survive, his desire to go back home?

Peeta seemed to read her thoughts from her face. "I know this fight wasn't a fair one but I did what I had to survive. You of all people probably can understand that."

She nodded knowing that he meant her hunting trips to the woods with that. He only knew about them because of his father. Katniss had sold many squirrels to Mister Mellark. Sometimes Peeta had been there when she had stopped by the bakery to bargain with his father. At that time he had only been a shadow creeping in the distance for her but the Peeta Mellark who now sat right before her was so real and honest with her that it hurt. _If he knew why I'm actually here would he still talk so openly with me?_

He sighed deeply and shot a short glance at the clock hanging on the wall behind her. "It's four A.M. I need to get up in three hours so I probably should try to sleep at least for a bit."

Katniss raised her brows at that. Of course she didn't ask him why he had to get up that early. She would find out about that herself.


	8. Chapter 8

When Egeria entered her office the next morning she found the screen of her notepad rapidly flashing. A pleased smile spread on her face. A little message from Katniss awaited her in her inbox. It wasn't long yet something which made her hope she soon would get decent information's about Peeta Mellarks doings.

_He is leaving the house right now. I'll follow him. If I find something out I'll send a message right your way._

* * *

><p>Peeta pulled his hood deeper into his face to cover it as he strode through the dead streets of the Capitol. It was seven o' clock in the morning and he seemed to be the only soul awake which relieved him. No one was supposed to know where he was headed. No one could ever know that the meeting Plutarch had secretly invited him to was to plan the revolution of Panem.<p>

_Revolution_. The words still made him shiver and uneasy. It's something which he had never thought of, which he had never found to be possible. But over the past few weeks after he had agreed to stand with the rebels Plutarch had made him believe that they could make it happen. That they could push Snow from his throne, claim his crown and create a new Panem. A Panem in which everyone has the same rights, a Panem which is peaceful and fair, a Panem in which no one needs to starve anymore. For Peeta these possibilities were once a distant dream but now Plutarch seemed to make them reality.

He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks when he felt the stinging sensation of being watched on his back. He whirled around only to find the path behind him empty. _You're getting paranoid. You're only panicking because you're afraid of getting caught._

Peeta took a deep breath, shook his head at himself and continued to walk down the street. It wasn't long now until he would reach the place which Plutarch chose for this meeting. An abandoned factory from which no one knew it was abandoned. It posed as a simple wig factory which was common in the capitol since many of its citizens prefer a colourful wig over real hair. But obviously it long since wasn't a factory anymore even though it still delivered the thousands of leftover wigs to several shops in the Capitol so that its real identity never got found out. The factory now was Plutarch's secret rendezvous point for everyone involved in his plans in the Capitol.

Peeta didn't know what this meeting was about or if he would be the only one attending it. But whatever was waiting for him in the factory he hoped it wouldn't take a long time. He didn't like the thought of Katniss being all alone in his apartment. When he had watched her sleep this morning she looked so peaceful. Like she felt safe here with him. But how was he supposed to know? Even though he felt like he knew her since ages he actually never really interacted with her before this very day she had arrived on his doorstep. He still didn't know if it was faith or merely good luck that the Capitol had sent her to him.

Finally the dark shape of the wig factory appeared right before him. If he didn't know it was long since out of business and now a place where rebels met he would think this was just merely a normal factory and nothing more.

Peeta followed the instructions which came with Plutarch's note on how to get into the building. He found the entrance door quickly. He checked the street for anyone who could be watching him but there was nobody to be seen. He carefully knocked three times and waited until the red light above the door enlightened. Then he said: "_Mockingjay_."

The door opened and Peeta stepped into the dark.

* * *

><p>Katniss watched him entering the building. She had already known that he didn't want anyone to know where he was headed by the way he had dressed himself and moved quietly through the labyrinth of streets. It had been tricky following him. The dark clothing she had gotten from Egeria made her stand out from the bright buildings and streets of the capitol. Peeta once nearly had caught a glimpse on her but she had been quick enough to hide herself from him behind a garbage can. He seemed to sense that someone was following him but didn't seem to be interested in checking it precisely. He made it too easy for her which disappointed Katniss. She had expected more from a victor.<p>

The word he had said just a few moments ago still rang in her ears. _Mockingjay_. A crossbreed between jabberjays and female mockingbirds. A creature the Capitol had never wanted to exist. Mockingjays were very common in the woods outside of District 12. Katniss had always enjoyed their company. She often had whistled simple melodies for them to repeat. Gale always was annoyed by it but Katniss had admired the way they were able to mimic her.

_Why would whoever he's meeting there use such a password?_ She quietly tried to solve the riddle when she noticed someone else approaching. She ducked behind the giant rose bush across from the factory she was hiding behind and watched through its branches the person wrapped in a huge blue coat stop by the door and take off his hood. A shock of bronze hair and a handsome face Katniss would've recognized anywhere became visible. Finnick Odair repeated the same word like Peeta after knocking for three times. A few seconds later he vanished into the building.

"What the hell is going on here," Katniss hissed quietly as she raised herself and checked if her surroundings were clear of any other human beings. When she spotted no one she strode over to the door and stared at it for a few moments. She didn't know what exactly would wait behind it and if she was even able to get into the factory unnoticed but she had to try at least.

She knocked with a trembling hand three times and when the red light came to life she whispered the word. "_Mockingjay_." Without raising any alarm the door opened before her. For a brief second she laughed silently. _That was easier than expected_. Before she entered the factory she scanned the street to make sure no one had seen her. Luckily enough the street was empty.

As soon as she stepped inside the door slid closed behind her. Pure darkness surrounded her and she had to blink several times before her eyes had completely adjusted to the dark. She creeped through the empty corridor before her. When she came to a point in which two different ones separated her way she didn't know in which direction she should go.

Suddenly the faint sound of several voices reached her from the right corridor. She listened carefully and could make out Peetas voice being one of them. Her heart raced as she quietly followed the direction of them. Katniss could see a faint spark of light illuminating the end of the corridor. When she reached it she could see that the corridor led into a massive hall. She carefully peeked inside.

Thousands of boxes were stacked inside the hall. They covered up all four walls and nearly reached the high ceiling. In the middle of the big room stood a gathering of many tables which were occupied by several figures. Katniss could make out Peetas blonde head which sat near the huge screen that seemed to be the only light source of the whole room. Beside it stood an pudgy elderly man.

Before Katniss was able to take in more details she heard heavy footsteps behind her. She quickly squeezed herself behind a stack of boxes which stood right next to the entrance. Only a few seconds later no other than Haymitch Abernathy entered the room.

* * *

><p>"Haymitch, we're delighted that you also join our little gathering," Plutarch said in a not very delighted tone. He seemed to be annoyed that the victor from 12 wasn't on time like always.<p>

Haymitch raised his hands in defence. He slightly staggered through the room which indicated he already had a few drinks too much. "Sorry, boss. But your damn door didn't seem to understand me very well."

Peeta rolled his eyes as his mentor seated himself right beside him. "Look at that! The baker boy also joined our ranks!"

Plutarch nodded. "Yes, Mister Mellark was one of the last victors to join our movement. But like I always say it: Better _late_ than _never_."

"Your little conversation might be very entertaining, Plutarch, but could you just _please_ tell us why exactly you invited us into your _generous _home," Johanna Mason snapped annoyed from the table behind Peeta. He had never met her before but he knew about her reputation in the capitol. The girl with the sharp tongue. The girl who played weak before the games and slaughtered everyone with her axe in them.

"Of course, Miss Mason, I was just about to start. We're complete now anyway," Plutarch said and turned to the huge screen. He touched it with his fingers and only a few seconds later a symbol appeared.

"A bird?" Finnick Odair frowned at Plutarch confused.

"Not just a bird," Beetee Latier replied, "A _mockingjay_."

"And what is it supposed to mean?" asked a blonde woman who sat on the desk beside Peetas. He remembered her name being Cecilia. She was a victor from District 8.

"This, my dear victors, is going to be our symbol. The symbol of our cause, of our rebellion, of the _revolution_," Plutarch replied proudly. "The mockingjay is something the capitol never wanted to exist. They are crossbreeds of jabberjays and mockingbirds. Jabberjays once were the weapon of the Capitol against the rebels of District 13 in the dark days. Jabberjays were able to copy whole sentences and repeat them. When the rebels found out about that they whispered lies to the jabberjays to confuse the capitol. But in the end they failed and District 13 got destroyed by the capitol. Or that's what we've been told."

Peeta asked, "What do you mean? That District 13 still exists?"

Plutarch nodded approvingly. "Yes, Mister Mellark. That's what I mean. The capitol never did any such thing. They made a deal with 13 instead. If they keep playing dead they were allowed to live."

"But what has 13 to do with any of this?" asked a Blight seated beside Johanna.

"13 is supporting my plan. They'll help us realizing this revolution. But before 13 can reveal that it's still alive we need to act first...," Plutarch broke off and inhaled deeply, "I told each one of you that joining this plan comes with a great risk. By coming here today I assume that each of you is willing to take it. Am I right with that?"

Fourteen heads shook with approval. "Good. Because what I'm about to tell you won't please any of you."


	9. Chapter 9

"You can't be serious!" spat Johanna as Plutarch was done explaining. A few other victors also joined her in furious voices while others just silently processed what the gamemaker just had said. Plutarchs words still hammered through Peetas skull.

"_The twist of this years Quater Quell will help us to spread the fire of rage the people of Panem need to start a rebellion successfully. If we send you beloved victors back into the arena and you show them that you won't fight each other because it's not the right thing to do they'll get inspired. They will gain courage from it. They will follow you into the fight."_

"Have you ever considered that even if you're the gamemaker you can't protect us from the trauma we all endured during our time in the arena? You really ask us to return to the place which turned us all into damaged souls? Plutarch, this is insane!" Cecilia stared at him with fear flashing through her eyes. Peeta understood her point. He'd rather march with thousand of soldiers into the capitol and kill the people who are responsible for this than going back into the arena and having to kill the people who were now surrounding him.

Plutarch raised his hands and silenced the still talking victors. "I know this is more than I could ever ask from you, but think about it. Is there really another way to defeat the capitol? District 13 might have some bombs that could destroy the capitol completely but so do they. At the end there would be no winner only destruction. We need the support of the people in the districts. But first we need to earn it. Sending you back into the arena shows them that no one will be ever safe from the games even if they have already won them. It will make them mad but also afraid. You need to show them that the capitol isn't as strong as they all think. You need to show them its weakness."

"And what is that weakness supposed to be?" Seeder asked critically.

Plutarch smiled. "With the games the capitol wants to show the districts how weak they are. How powerless they are. That they can't do anything to make them stop. But if you refuse to kill each other in the arena you show them that the capitol has no power over you anymore. You show them who is stronger and the people will always follow the stronger party."

"How is this plan ever going to work? If we refuse to kill each other they'll just slaughter us with their mutts," Johanna said in a cold tone.

"That's not going to happen. Let's just assume you're the only tributes left in the arena. You refuse to kill each other. It will make the people in the capitol uneasy and it'll make Snow uneasy. If he gives me the order to kill you all, I won't follow it. This is the part 13 joins our plan. They know the exact position of the arena and as soon as you made your point clear to the people of Panem that you won't fight each other anymore they'll come. They'll get you out of there and to 13. We're all be going there. Just think about the impact this would make. The message you will send to Panem. The victors join the rebellion and rise against Snow. You are the strongest people known in Panem. They'll follow you. I'm sure of it."

Silence fell. Nobody knew what to say. To Peeta the whole plan still sounded as mad as the first time Plutarch explained it but it also got a lot more brilliant. He could see what he meant. It was logical. If the simple folks from any district would rise against Snow he could just destroy them without anyone ever knowing or hearing about it. But if the victors would do that in the games for everyone in Panem to see he could do nothing about it without risking to ignite an inferno which would swallow a whole nation. He could only try to act undercover; to slowly kill them all off in the arena and make it look like an accident. But he wouldn't have Plutarch on his side. He didn't know that his gamemaker is stuck under the same blanket as the victors.

Plutarch sighed deeply. "If you no longer want to be part of this mission, I understand that completely. But if we don't take action now and do something against Snows regime no one ever will. We'll only sink deeper into his darkness."

The victors hesitated for a few minutes. Peeta was the first one to rise. "I don't care if I die during this whole plan. If it means that someday the people of Panem will be free from this snake I'll do it. I have nothing left to lose."

Haymitch watched him amused before he rose from his chair as well. "The baker boy is right! We're already pretty fucked up anyway. What damage will it do if we go in there again but this time we are the ones in power?"

Cecilia didn't seem to be really convinced when she also got to her feet. "I don't do it for the sake of Panem. I do it for my children. They deserve a better life in a better future."

Several other victors got to their feet as well. Finnick, Beetee, Wiress, Mags, Blight, Woof, Chaff, Seeder and the Morphlings. The only one left sitting was Johanna who stared at all of them with slightly widened eyes.

"Johanna?" Finnick eyed her vaguely.

A wicked smile spread on her face as she rose. "Don't worry, I'm also in. I just can't believe how stupid and mad we're all are to be agreeing to such an obvious suicide mission."

"Miss Mason, the plan will work out," Plutarch tried to assure her.

But Johanna just mockingly cocked her head. "We'll see about that, Mister Heavensbee. But know one thing. If this doesn't work out me and my axe will haunt you forever. Understood?"

Plutarch grinned. "Understood."

* * *

><p>Katniss could barely comprehend what she'd just witnessed. <em>The victors will rise against the capitol. District 13 still exists. Peeta agreed to this plan.<em>

A shiver ran down her spine and she didn't listen to them anymore. Everything around her blurred. If Gale knew what was about to happen he would gladly go into the games himself. This whole plan would even excite him while it only horrified Katniss. How could they be so naive? They would only get themselves killed. Snow won't ever allow something like that. He'll only kill them all just to show the citizen of Panem that no one is strong enough to throw him off.

She instantly knew that she could never tell Egeria about this whole thing. Even though she was positive that this plan would fail she didn't have the heart to take the only hope the people in Panem have. Plutarch was right. If they didn't do anything no one ever would. They could at least try and if it works out Katniss would take back every doubt she had inside herself now.

While she didn't paid attention dust had creeped into her nose and tickled it now. Before she could stop herself she sneezed very loudly.

Suddenly everything around her went silent. The voices of the victors had died off. The only sound seemed to be her racing heart as she held her breath and listened for any sudden movements. But in the end nothing could've ever prepared her for Finnick who suddenly stood right before the gap she had squeezed herself into and now yanked her out of it.

She tried to wind herself out of his grip but he was faster than she had expected. He shoved her to the ground with incredible power. The air left her lungs when she hit the ground hard. She gasped desperately for air while Finnick pinned her arms and legs roughly to the ground.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" he hissed and watched her with raging eyes.

"Finnick!" Katniss panicked as she heard Peetas voice. She tried to hide her face but he recognized her instantly.

"Katniss?" Peeta stared at her in shock and was silent for a few moments. "What the hell are you doing here?"


	10. Chapter 10

"You know her?" Finnick's gaze wandered from Peeta's face to Katniss' several times before he rested it completely on Peeta. "How?"

Peeta wasn't able to open his mouth. He just continued to stare at Katniss who was being pinned to the ground by Finnick. She didn't meet his eyes. Instead she stared at the ceiling high above her, searching for a way out of this situation. But there was not a single one to be found. She was trapped. And she hated it.

"I…she…," Peeta tried to explain but he didn't find the right words. How was he supposed to explain to them that Katniss was actually his Avox – _his responsibility_ – without getting suspected by the others? How could he ever tell them that this girl on the ground was a present from Snow to him without endangering her life? They wouldn't let her go once they've found out. They would even _kill_ her so that she couldn't tell anyone what she'd just witnessed.

"Hey, isn't that the archer girl back from twelve?" Peeta hadn't noticed Haymitch approaching the whole scene. But right now he wished he did so that he could've gagged him before he even opened his filthy drunken mouth.

"You know her too?" Finnick considered both of the victors from District 12 in disbelief. "What the hell is going on here?"

Haymitch shot a pointed glance Peeta's way. "That's something that only the baker boy is able to tell."

Now everyone was staring at Peeta who grew angry with every second that passed by. He was angry at Haymitch for not being able to keep his mouth shut just for a few damned seconds. He was angry at Finnick for pressing the whole issue even more. He was angry at Katniss for just being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

But _why_ was she even here? And _how_ had she been able to follow him all this time without him noticing her?

"If you won't talk, Mellark, then I'll make her talk. Your decision," Finnick hissed and looked down at Katniss like a predator stalking his prey. She didn't like the way his body pressed down on her. She had never been so close to a boy. Not even to Gale. All she wanted right now was his dirty fingers off her. But he held her down in a firm and unbreakable grip. She was caged. She _couldn't_ escape.

"You can't make her talk. She can't talk anymore," Peeta whispered frustrated. His hands were already clenched into fists and they trembled terribly. He tried desperately to contain his anger but when Finnick asked what he'd said he repeated his words in terrible screaming. "YOU CAN'T MAKE HER TALK, YOU SON OF A BITCH! SHE CAN'T TALK ANYMORE; THEY CUT HER GODFORSAKEN TONGUE OUT!"

Finnick didn't seem to be shocked by Peeta's reaction. He just frowned and said: "Oh, really? Then why did I just catch a glance on her lovely little tongue while she was poorly trying to fight me off?"

Peeta's anger vanished as fast as it had taken possession of him. Now he just stared confused at Finnick. "What?"

"There is a tongue in her mouth. I'm telling you, there really is," Finnick said and looked at Katniss again, "Isn't that so, _spy_?"

The word stung more than Katniss had expected it to. She didn't want to be called a spy. Especially not by Finnick Odair. So instead of acting her game of silence on, she spoke to him through clenched teeth. "_I'm. Not. A. Spy_."

"Oh, really? Well what are you then? Just curious?" Finnick considered her with a mocking glance. He knew she was lying. He knew who she was working for and he would make her pay for it. She could see it from the way he seemed to so deeply enjoy making her suffer.

Katniss didn't answer him. She refused to. Not because she wanted to rebel against him but because she didn't know what to say. How could she ever explain to a group of victors that Snow had assigned her to spy on Peeta without making them so angry at her that they'll kill her?

Her silence seemed to frustrate Finnick a lot which she enjoyed a lot before he slammed her hard to the ground and screamed at her: "ANSWER ME!"

"FINNICK!" Plutarch had been utterly silent until now. He saw the growing tension between Peeta and Finnick. He saw the way the other victors looked anxiously at each other because they feared to be revealed to Snow. He had just motivated them to fight. He wouldn't let them lose it just because one single stupid spy.

"That's enough. Your methods won't bring us anywhere with her," Plutarch snapped annoyed and pointed at Blight, "You! Get a chair. Johanna, there is some rope right behind the screen. Get it so that we can bind her to that chair. Finnick, make a tight knot. This is going to take a while."

* * *

><p>The cool muzzle of a gun was being pressed against Katniss cheek by Plutarch. The victors were seated in a circle around the chair she had been bound to. Everyone was staring at her including Peeta. He tried to put a blank mask above his face but Katniss could see his trembling lips and they way he seemed utterly disappointed. Utterly disappointed by <em>her<em>.

She pinned her gaze at her feet while she tried to ignore the fact that a gun was being held right against her head. Plutarch hadn't seemed like much of a threat to her before but now with a powerful weapon in his hand she was actually terrified of him. Because she knew that he had the guts to pull the trigger. He would kill her if he had the feeling that she would threaten his mission. So she had to make sure to play a safe game. She needed to tell the truth. She needed to make them understand that she didn't choose to do this. That she had been _dared_ to, _punished_ to do so.

"So, I'm now going to explain the rules to you. I'll ask the questions and you'll answer them. You'll answer with the truth if your life means anything to you. And if I sense just one tiny lie you'll pay for it. Understood?"

Katniss only nodded and raised her chin. She wouldn't break. She would be strong. She would survive this.

"Good girl," Plutarch said, "We'll start with something easy. What is your name?"

"Katniss Everdeen." Plutarch turned to Peeta who nodded to confirm she said the truth.

"So, Katniss tell me, who are you working for?"

"President Snow." His name was like acid on her lips. She heard a few gasps coming from every direction.

"What exactly is your task? What did he ask you to do?"

Katniss hesitated slightly. "He wants me to keep an eye on Peeta. I'm supposed to report everything he says and does to him."

Peeta didn't know wherever he was supposed to cry or to laugh. How stupid he had been. While he was thinking that sending her to him had been Snows punishment she actually was just randomly picked out because she was from twelve and send to spy on him. How could he been so blind? How could he been so blinded by her? _Because you love her. That's why. _

"And why did he ask such a thing from you?"

Katniss swallowed. "They didn't tell me. Told me that it was none of my business. But I guess they've noticed something strange and wanted to be really sure he is doing nothing which could harm them, so that's why they brought me into the game."

Plutarch cocked his head interested. "And why do you think they picked specifically you?"

"Because I'm from twelve. Because I know him. Not very well, but I know him. I guess they also wanted to punish him a little. But mostly because we're from the same district and because I'm in good shape." She heard how Finnick chuckled darkly behind her. God, how she _hated_ him.

"So you followed him today because it is your duty. Not out of any other motivation?"

"Yes," she answered honestly.

"And why do you obey Snow? What would happen if you said no to him?"

Katniss shrugged. "Well, he would've either killed me and my entire family or rip my tongue out and make me a real Avox like I was promised before."

Plutarch just nodded and lowered the gun. "It's really important that you answer my next question honestly. Your answer will decide over your life. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Are you loyal to President Snow?"

Katniss didn't hesitate. "No."

Plutarch sighed and turned around to face the victors. "What do you think?"

"About what? Her? I don't know. Sort of like her attitude," Johanna answered and winked at Katniss. Her cheeks instantly grew hot.

Plutarch rolled his eyes. "No, Miss Mason. What do you think should we do with her?"

"Well, I still think we should kill her. One Avox less in Panem won't cause any suspicions. We can't risk that she tells Snow about this. About everything," Finnick said and his green eyes made Katniss understand he really wanted her to die. Well, as long as she wouldn't die by _his_ hands she didn't care about his opinion.

"You really think her death won't make Snow curious? If you ask me then that's a very important task he has given her and he probably relies very much on her information's if he wants to find out something triggering about Peeta. Killing her would do us no good. But we can't just let her go so easy either," Beetee shot back.

"Then what do you suggest we do with her, Mister Latier?" Plutarch eyed the elderly man from District 3 perplexed.

Beetee pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Well, we can try to convince her to feed Snow false information's which are working in our favour on him. She could work for us instead of obeying him. It wouldn't be safe for her but working for Snow isn't either so..."

Everyone was silent for a few moments. Katniss couldn't believe that Beetee, a victor, would put so much trust into a person he merely knew a few minutes. Was he just that naive or just that smart? She didn't know. But she did know something. That if they offered her to help them she would take this chance. She would help them rebel against Snow. She'd rather do that than die in a dark wig factory surrounded by people who could've been her allies in an another position.

Finnick was the first one to find his voice again. "But how do we know we can trust her? How do we know she won't run to Snow the second after we let her go?"

"Because I'll be with her and I won't let her do such a thing. I'll kill her myself if I have to, to prevent our cause to fail." Peeta's words shocked her. His cold voice shocked her. His cold _everything_ shocked her. The gentle and vulnerable Peeta from last night was gone. Now she had a bloodthirsty victor sitting right across from her. And for a few seconds she was actually afraid of him. Until she realized that there wasn't any reason to be. She wouldn't run to Snow. She wouldn't destroy the only chance Panem had.

Plutarch considered Peeta for a few moments before he nodded. "Very well. But know one thing, Mister Mellark. If you fail to watch over her, you'll pay for it in your very own way."

"And that would be?" Peeta stared at him mockingly.

"You'll be the very first one to die in the games then."

* * *

><p><em>Sorry it took me so long to upload a new chapter! I haven't given up on this story, I swear! I was just so busy with finals and other stuff that I barely got time to sit down and write. Well, now I'm back to writing here and I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you all for the love you give this story! I really appreciate it! :)<em>


	11. Chapter 11

When Peeta violently slammed the door of his apartment shut behind him Katniss didn't flinch. She expected him to still be angry about everything that had just happened. He had every right to be. She could understand why he would be angry. He felt betrayed. _By her_. She didn't know what he had expected from her but obviously it wasn't this sort of thing. He had honestly believed that she was just supposed to be his Avox. But if he would've been smarter he would know that nothing that Snow does is simple. Behind everything he does hides an ugly lie.

Katniss opened her mouth to say something several times but she always ended up closing it instead. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know which words would make him feel better. If there were even words which could calm the raging storm inside of him.

Peeta didn't look at her. He was facing the door and still shaking under the hot wrath which consumed him in small pieces. He had so much to say but he didn't dare to speak. He was afraid of the ugly things that could escape his mouth. He was afraid to hurt her. He nearly laughed at himself. How could he still so deeply care about a girl which basically had been working for his mortal enemy. Which basically would've handed over any information she could gather about him to Snow and make his life more miserable than it already was.

"Peeta..." She whispered his name carefully and listened to the sound it made coming from her lips. Saying his name felt right. Wanting him to forgive her felt right. Right now she wanted nothing more than his forgiveness. But how could she ever earn that? How could he possibly ever look at her the same way he did yesterday again after everything?

"_Don't_. Don't do this to me," he hissed through clenched teeth and wrapped his arms protectivley like an armor around his body. He was still shaking. Still shaking under the weight of emotions which were crashing down on him.

Katniss remained silent while staring at his broad back. The thin baker boy who had saved her life so many years ago was gone. Now there stood a handsome young man with defined muscles and healthy glowing skin before her. But the pretty facade wasn't able to hide the broken jagged pieces inside of him. She could see how much the games truly haunted him by the way his body was always on alert, always waiting for an attack, always ready to defend itself.

When he finally turned around and faced her, tears were streaming down his face. But instead of hiding them he let them fall. Peeta wasn't ashamed of them. "You know, after the games my whole family stopped talking to me. In fact they even refused to take some money from me when I offered it them. They are ashamed of me. Ashamed for their murderous son who won the games just by slaughtering innocents. Do you know how much that hurts? Being left alone when all you really need is the support of someone who you love and trust. When all you really need is someone who listens? You know, when you arrived on my doorstep that day I was so glad to see you because I was so glad to finally have company. To finally have someone who I might could've grown to trust. But no, instead I just get served another big lie which will show me just how I can trust _no one_ but myself-"

"You can trust me, Peeta. I swear you can-"

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TRUST YOU WHEN YOU AGREED TO SERVE THE DEVIL HIMSELF? WHEN YOU AGREED TO SPY ON ME AND REPORT EVERYTHING TO HIM? WHEN YOU AGREED TO TAKE ANY PRIVACY AND SAFTEY I HAVE LEFT AWAY FROM ME?"

Now it was Katniss turn to be agry. How did he dare to judge her like that? "You really think I had a choice? I had to agree to this, otherwise they would've killed my whole family! They would've even make me watch, then really cut my tongue out and be an Avox for the rest of my life! Tell me, oh mighty Peeta Mellark, if you would be given such a choice, would you really say no to Snow? Would you really refuse to do such a simple thing as spying on someone and rather watch your whole family die right before your eyes?"

Peeta knew she was right. He knew that it was unfair of him to judge her in such a crude way. But he was just so _tired_ of getting dissapointed by other people. So _tired_ of putting his trust in the wrong people and never get anything but pain back. _So tired of being a victor_.

"I…I need some time alone. I need to get my head cleared. This is...," he gasped for air as the anger slowly slipped away and ripped away the last bit of adrenaline in his blood, "…this is too much."

Katniss opened her mouth to say something but before she had the chance he had already locked himself in his bedroom. The cruel sound of his sobbing muted by the door between them shattered her heart into a thousand pieces.

* * *

><p>It had been five days now. Five days since Katniss had been arrested. Five days since she had been stripped away from his life like leaf torn away from its tree by the strong autumn wind. Five days since the now electrified fence of District 12 actually caged him inside this hellhole also known as his life. He couldn't escape into the silent green shelter of the woods anymore. Another beloved piece the capitol has taken away from him. Not only Katniss but also his life as a fearless hunter.<p>

Now he had to work in the mines of Twelve to be able to provide for his family. The hob had been shut down one day after Katniss had been shipped off to the capitol. Peacekeeper had invaded the old warehouse the hob had been located in and burned everything to pieces. Nothing had been left. Thread had made sure nothing did. He wanted to make the people of Twelve truly suffer like they really deserved to. Their little decade of peace was over now. The capitol finally had them in its claws. Exactly where Snow wanted them. Exactly where he had them under control.

Since Gale found no one else to blame he blamed the Mellark boy for all of this. This stupid kid who had won the games last year and had directed the focus of the capitol exactly on Twelve. If he wouldn't have been they still would have the hob. If he wouldn't have won he still could go into the woods. _If he wouldn't have won Katniss would still be here_. But she wasn't. And that's probably what hurt most about the whole thing. Gale didn't know how he was supposed to move on without his best friend, his closest companion, his _everything_. She had been everything to him. And now she was just gone.

He balled his hands into fists and felt the strong urge to punch someone in the face rush into him. But there was no one around who he truly wanted to start a fight with. How could there? He was sitting on the stairs in front of the little cottage in which he and his family lived in. He could hear Posy and Prim laugh behind his back. Katniss little sister came now often around to the Hawthrone household. Either to help his mother cooking or just for joking around with Posy and the boys. It seemed to let her forget that her big sister had been taken by the capitol for a little while. But he could still see the sad looks on her face and the bloodshot eyes after a whole night of crying. She was still _so young_ yet had to carry a weight he couldn't even imagine.

It was already growing dark and chilly outside yet Gale choose to remain where he was seated. Only the cold was able to numb the angry fire burning deep within him. He wanted to do something. He wanted to do something _stupid_. Something that would remind Thread that he isn't as almighty as he thinks he is. That he was just another soulless puppet within Snows ugly game. But to accomplish such a thing he also had to take the risk of being either killed, whipped or arrested. And he didn't know if he was willing to take any of those.

Suddenly a cloaked figure caught his attention. Gale instantly knew that whoever it was didn't belong here. The clothes of the person were way too expensive looking for someone who would live in this sort of territory. _Probably just some stupid capitol groupie who came here to stalk Mellark and got lost on her way._

He lowered his gaze to his feet again and ignored the nearing shadow thinking that he or she would just pass by without taking any notice of him. But to his surprise the person in the dark cloak seemed to be headed his way. When he or she was so near he had no doubts anymore he or she wanted something from him, he got to his feet and towered over the small figure.

"What do you want from me?" He didn't wait for him or her to say anything. "And who are you?"

The person reached for the hood which was covering his or her face and yanked it back to reveal his or her face. A shock of blonde hair became visible and it didn't take Gale more than a few seconds to recognize her face. "_Madge_?"

She smiled weakly. "Hello, Gale."

He blinked a few times and stared at her with disbelief covering his whole face. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Madge flinched when she heard the anger in his voice. Of course he would be angry with her. In the end it had been her father who had send Katniss away to the capitol. "I…I came here to tell you about Katniss. I assumed you would be interested in her condition and where she is now."

Again he eyed her with great shock. He instantly wasn't angry anymore. All that mattered right now was Katniss. "You…you know where she is? How she is doing?"

Madge nodded and scanned the area for a few curious ears who could've listened to them. But they were alone. "Yes. I overheard my father and Thread talking about her whereabouts a few days ago. She's alive and well. She's an Avox now working for Peeta Mellark."

_Peeta Mellark_. Of course Snow would throw her to the Mellark boy. Of course he would do such a cruel thing. Not only to torture the boy but also to make Katniss life even more miserable._ I'll kill him. Someday I'll kill this monster. _

"Thank you for telling me that," he grunted through clenched teeth. He should be grateful but at the moment all his thoughts were swirling around the fact that Katniss was with Peeta Mellark rather than him. Jealousy took hold of his body. He hated himself for reacting that way because he should be glad. He should be glad that she was alive and well and probably well cared for. He knew the looks the baker boy had always directed her way. He knew his silent admiration for Katniss. And he knew that he would do anything for her.

"No problem…," Madge whispered. She was intimidated by his weird reaction to the news. She didn't consider herself as Katniss best friend, but she counted her to one of the closest friends she ever had and was relieved that she wasn't dead or hurt. But Gale...Gale seemed to be outraged about…something.

"Anything else?" He didn't mean to be rude but right now he couldn't help himself. All he could see was Katniss together with Peeta alone in the capitol.

Madge shook her head. "No," she hesitated, "I should probably get back now. Before somebody notices I'm gone."

She threw the hood over her head again and turned to go. But suddenly Gale took hold of her arm. His touch wasn't gentle but also not hurtful. "Why did you come here to tell me all of this? Why would you risk ?"

Madge was quiet for a long moment before she answered him. "Because you and Katniss have always stopped by my house to bring me strawberries even though you knew how dangerous it was. Even though you could've been caught by my father and be arrested. If you were willing to take such a risk for someone you merely know, I'm also willing to take it."


	12. Chapter 12

Katniss hands slightly trembled as she stared down at the small device which lay in her palm. It looked like a pendant – a black circle with a smooth surface – which was connected to a silver chain, which she wore every day since Egeria gave it to her, concealed under her clothes. But of course it wasn't _just_ a pendant. It was a microphone which would record as soon as Katniss would press it. It was meant to give her the ability to record things Peeta says without him noticing and made her able to send spoken messages to the minister herself. And this was what she was about to do. _Sort of_.

She already has written several messages which she could read to the device in a convincing tone. She already has chosen a message which she would read because she didn't trust herself enough to spontaneously put her lie into the right words. If she wanted to make this story believable she had to be prepared. She only had one chance to record it in the right way since the messages get send directly to Egeria. Katniss wasn't able to hear for herself how good or bad she had lied. She could only hope that she had made herself sound believable.

She deeply inhaled and scanned her message one last time before she finally squeezed the pendant tightly between her fingers.

_Miss Lascius. This is Katniss Everdeen reporting on the recent doings of Peeta Mellark. Mister Mellark has left his apartment today at seven o' clock in the morning dressed in a dark cloak which indicates that he obviously didn't want to be spotted by curious eyes. I have followed him all the way to his destination which was a huge mansion located in the garden district of the Capitol. He stayed there for several hours. I wasn't able to get near the house to check on what he was exactly doing in there. But when he left I saw him kissing a strange girl which could be his secret lover or just a distraction. After his visit he went straight back home, still concealed by the cloak. His behaviours had been calmer but he still didn't want to be seen. After that he spent the rest of the day home without doing anything suspicious. I'll keep you updated on any further developments between these two or message you as fast as I can when I find out something more useful for you. End of the report._

She dropped the pendant and exhaled relieved. That went better than she had expected. The minister wouldn't suspect a thing. That's what Katniss hoped at least, for Peeta's and her sake.

"A secret lover or distraction? _Really_? " Her head whipped around to see Peeta standing in the doorway, eyeing her with obvious amusement on his face.

She rolled her eyes. "My choices of lies I could've told were limited and this was the best one in my opinion."

"Oh, really? And why?" He frowned at her.

Katniss shrugged. "Let's say I took a little bit inspiration for it from Finnick Odair."

His frown deepened and the once amused smirk left his lips. "I hope you know that in reality I'm _nothing_ like that greedy little bastard."

"I know," she replied without any hesitation, "I didn't mean any offence."

"And none are taken," he said in a much gentler tone. He also actually managed to smile at her while he still leaned against the frame. After that an awkward silence followed in which both of them weren't quiet sure what to say. The tension of yesterdays fight still hung in the air. But Peeta didn't want to go on like that. He didn't want to fight with her anymore since they now were both on the same team.

"So...uh, you want some breakfast?"

* * *

><p><em>Secret lover<em>. Egeria didn't know wherever she was supposed to laugh or cry after reading Katniss report from today. The Mellark boy was supposed to have a secret lover? How laughable. How painfully disappointing. When Katniss had messaged her earlier that day Egeria had been filled with so much anticipation, hoping that the girl was able to find out something that Egeria could proudly present Snow. But this. This was _nothing_.

I took her great deal of control to not throw her notepad against the wall. Frustrated she let herself sink deeper into her chair and tried to even her breathing. She was able to contain her calm mask in front of Snow or other officials but sometimes she just was too weak to hold her guard up. She hated that. She hated not being completely in control of her whole body, hated the way her emotions were like a wild beast – untameable and coming to the surface whenever they wanted – and hated the way how aware she had to be about every step she took.

But these were just the struggles and worries which came with working for Snow. It's like you're walking on thin ice. One misstep and it'll break under you and you'll drown. Killed and forgotten. That's how it went when you didn't obey Snow's command. Egeria had seen many of her colleagues suddenly disappear. At first she had wondered where they'd gone. But after working for Snow for a longer amount of time she had started to realize what really happened to them and stopped caring about it. It was much easier and much more bearable to go on like that.

But some small part of her seemed to always wonder: _When would it be her turn to go?_

* * *

><p>"<em>Oh. My. God.<em> What _is_ that?"

Peeta tried to keep the swell of laughter from coming but he burst out giggling anyway. The scene before him was priceless. Katniss was staring down at the pancake he just made in quiet fascination. He had never seen anyone actually freaking out so much about a freaking pancake.

"A pancake," he answered inbetween his helpless laughter.

Katniss shook her head at him while she took another bite. "Pancake is such a dishonourable name for something that glorious. It tastes like god himself made it in his holy oven."

"Well, _thanks_," Peeta said and slightly bowed while he flipped a still frying pancake in the pan.

"Seriously, you're like a _magician_," Katniss marvelled and stabbed her fork into her plate since she didn't notice that she had already finished off her pancake.

Peeta only shrugged. "It's not like making them is hard. I could teach you, if you want," he replied and tried to hide how deeply he was actually blushing because of her compliments. He wasn't used to so much real appreciation. All he received here in the capitol were fake one's and back home no one had even cared for his hidden talents.

Katniss gazed at him excitedly. "You could teach me how to do magic? Well, that's not something I'll say no to!"

"Well, magic always comes with a price, so..." He only frowned and puts another pancake on Katniss plate.

But she didn't seem to notice it. Instead she looked at him challenging. "And what would be your price?"

Peeta smirked at her. "That's something I'm still trying to figure out."

Before Katniss could reply to that statement a shrill sound cut her off. Peeta nearly jumped out of his skin before he hurried to open the door for whoever it was standing before it. Meanwhile Katniss quickly finished off her meal and quickly ran over to the sink so she could pretend she was _really_ working for Peeta if the someone before the door wanted to pay a visit. But Peeta didn't have company when he came back. Instead he was pale and holding a small piece of paper in his trembling hands.

"What's wrong?" Katniss asked and stared him concerned.

He just shook his head. "Nothing…I…I should actually be happy about this but…it's just…too soon…"

She didn't understand. "What…what is _too soon_?"

Peeta held up the paper. "It's from Snow. It says I'm supposed to return to 12. Because of the reaping for the Quell. _With you_."


End file.
